How You Can Be More Active
By Sara Butler
If you want to stay healthy, then you need a more active lifestyle. When you are able to add activity into your daily schedule, then it can help reduce your risk of diseases such as stroke, diabetes, and heart disease. It also happens to be great for your mental health and can help to boost brainpower. But you don't have to be an elite athlete in order to reap the benefits of an active lifestyle. In fact, there are some really simple ways you can stay active. Here are a few tips to help you get started.
Start Out Slow
You can't go from couch potato to marathoner overnight. What you can do is start out slow and talk to a healthcare professional before you start a new exercise regimen, especially if it's been a while since you worked out.
Start out with only five or 10 minutes of physical activity each day and gradually increase the time you spend being active each week. This is the healthy way to reduce injury as you get more activity in your life. Ultimately, you want to work your way up to 30 minutes of physical activity each day, which can be 30 minutes all at once, three 10-minute workouts throughout the day, or two 15-minute workouts. Whatever works for you is what you should try to aim for.
Get Your Muscles Working
Remember that it's not all about cardiovascular exercise as you work out, you also need to work your muscles. That's why walking or jogging is great but needs to be paired with weight lifting or resistance exercise if you really want to get healthy. Stronger muscles will help strengthen your bones and improve your balance to make you less susceptible to injury. If you're unsure how to start, then think about getting a single session with a trainer at your local gym so they can show you the ropes.
Stretch it Out
You should always include stretching in your workout routine. Flexibility is part of what you need in order to stay healthy as you get older and it helps to improve your range of motion as well as reduce your risk of injury if you stretch after a workout. It can also help to improve circulation!
For more information about getting active, talk to the chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Bossier City, La.